If your child has been coughing for more than a week, they could have bronchitis.
Acute bronchitis usually comes on quickly due to a viral or bacterial infection.
It also discusses serious complications that can arise in children with bronchitis, such aspneumonia.
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The condition often begins with adry cough that gradually turns wet or productive.
A productive cough means your child is coughing upmucus.
The cough is their bodys attempt to remove the mucus from their airways.
Infants and young children maygag or vomitdue to the mucus.
Other symptoms to watch for include:
Bronchitis symptoms may last for up to three weeks.
Contact your healthcare provider or call 911 right away.
It can cause symptoms similar to those of bronchitis, such as a cough and shortness of breath.
If bronchitis results in pneumonia, it may be treated with prescriptions or over-the-counter medication.
Your child will also require lots of rest.
In rare cases, some children who develop pneumonia may require hospitalization for oxygen therapy.
Diagnosis
You may assume your child has bronchitis based on their symptoms.
However, it’s best to let a healthcare provider make that call.
A healthcare provider will conduct a physical exam, which will include listening to your child’s lungs.
A chest x-ray can rule out pneumonia.
Most cases of acute bronchitis are viral.
A doctor may prescribe antibiotics to treat a possible bacterial infection if symptoms don’t go away over time.
Treatments
The treatment for bronchitis depends on your childs symptoms and the cause of their condition.
While medication can help resolve a bacterial infection, viral infections simply have to run their course.
In the meantime, symptomatic treatment can be given for comfort.
This means staying home from school or daycare until symptoms improve.
Most children start feeling better after 10 days, with full recovery sometimes taking two to three weeks.
Bacterial bronchitis may require antibiotic therapy.
Be sure to help your child finish their full prescription even once they start feeling better.
Try giving the medication with food to prevent nausea, vomiting, anddiarrheaall common side effects of antibiotics.
Giving your child a pediatricprobiotic supplementmay help as well.
Amoxicillin capsules should never be opened or crushed.
Most kids begin feeling better after three days of antibiotic therapy.
It’s best to let a healthcare provider evaluate your child and make that decision.
Once your child is diagnosed with bronchitis, encourage them to rest as much as possible.
Set up a cool mist humidifier in your home, and offer them water and fluids throughout the day.
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